Tag: Estate Planning
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Only My Name Is on the Deed. Will My Spouse Inherit It?
If you share a home, you might figure your marriage means the home deed will belong to your spouse when you pass away. And if you own the home jointly with survivorship rights, then yes, your home will go to the surviving spouse whenever one of you passes on. But not all spouses vest their…
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Should We Name Our Adult Child on the Deed, So Probate and Title Transfer Aren’t Needed Later?
Would it make it easy on you and your adult child to put the child’s name on the deed to the home you’re buying? Especially if you’re an older adult, it might seem to make perfect sense. But the answer isn’t as easy as it might seem at first glance. So, read on. You might…
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Should I Remove My Deceased Spouse’s Name From Our Deed?
You probably don’t have to. That said, the best answer to your question should take into account the way your deed was vested, and whether a lawyer recommends that you carry out a formal name removal for a specific reason.
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The Charitable Remainder Trust: Who Uses It, How It Works
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is an estate planning tool for people who want their estates to ultimately go to a registered nonprofit. The person who creates the trust, and/or others listed as beneficiaries, draw(s) income from the trust for a period. At the end of the trust term (or when the last named beneficiary…
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Can Co-Owners Use a Transfer on Death Deed for Real Estate?
Can co-owners plan to pass a home along using the revocable transfer on death deed (TODD)? Yes. If your state recognizes the TOD deed (also known simply as TODD) for real estate, there will be an official state form. Alternatively there will be a sample included in your state’s law, which you can look up.…
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Should I Pay Off the Mortgage if I’m Single with No Heirs?
Hold on a minute. Are you sure you have no heirs? Somebody in an extended family is nearly always tracked down when someone dies intestate. Of course, that doesn’t rule out the point of your question. Let’s take a look at the person who dies with a mortgage loan balance — but without naming a…
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What Can a SRES® Agent Offer a Mature Home Buyer?
Have you heard about the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®), from the National Association of REALTORS®? The SRES credential is a sign that an agent can support the goals and needs of older clients. The SRES agent has been trained in the unique challenges of those who enter the market aged 50+.
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Legal Aid Resources: Finding Free and Low-Cost Services for Seniors
Deeds.com offers updated, compliant real estate documents and forms. Now and then, a reader has situation-specific legal questions which require legal advice. Law firms can get expensive, but there are services available at low or no cost for older adults who need them.
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Power of Attorney or Guardianship for Older Adults: Confront and Avert Misuse
When it’s apparent that a power of attorney is being improperly used, is there any recourse? Here, we explore this important question.
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Conservatorship? Guardianship? What Do They Mean for Senior Deed Transfers?
For a lifelong couple, the day comes when one partner starts to focus intently on the well-being of the other. Before then, it’s important for a couple to document their plans and wishes. But how will they transfer the jointly held deed to their home, when one of them loses the capacity to do so?…
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Seniors Lose Billions Each Year to Scammers: 5 Quick Tips to Protect Yourself
According to the FBI, scammers take advantage of seniors to the tune of billions annually. A lot of this happens because seniors own a massive amount of U.S. real estate, a hard and valuable asset. To avoid enriching the wrong people, keep our five tips in mind. Consider sharing this column with friends who need…
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Deeds in Disarray: Untangling Titles Passed Down Informally
When homes are passed down without a will, legal ownership can become questionable. Claims to the title can tangle. This happens most often in households of modest income (many who couldn’t afford probate). Loss of the home title, of course, pushes families into still harder situations. Indeed, a number of factors could keep households from…
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The Bulk of U.S. Home Deeds Are About to Be Passed Along. Millennials, Are You Really Ready?
A Realtor.com survey is out, showing 23% of millennials feeling ready to buy a home in the next six months. This is an interesting turn in attitudes. And it only appears with millennials. Just 15% of their generation felt ready in late 2024. If you happen to be a millennial getting ready to buy —…
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Quitclaim Deeds and Senior Homeowners: Convenience with Caution
When someone wants to know which kind of document makes it easy to pass real estate ownership, the quitclaim deed comes to mind. Convenient? You bet. And quite often, this convenient document is the senior’s deed of choice. This is because so many seniors decide, at some point in their lives, to transfer their homeownership…
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We’re Inheriting a Deed Together (And My Co-Owner Has No Job)
Meet Terry, a new deed holder. Terry received the home from his mother. “My mother recently passed away,” as he tells the story. “I inherited the deed, with my sister. My mother was supporting her, but that’s come to an end.” His sister is already living in what used to be their late mother’s home.…
